10/08/2025
My post, and this post shared, are a bit of a read but I think are incredibly important!!!! Please take 5mins to read 😊
This article is bang on! We are seeing dressage disappear more and more every year. Why?! Many factors… many listed in this article (it’s more US specific but very much applies in Canada to).
Issues:
1- The shear amount of money it cost to enter a show. 4 day show for 20-25 mins in the ring, ~$2000 (covers all cost, not sure entry fees) No or very little prize $. How does the Western discipline do it? Large prizes and quite low entry fees (from my understanding)
2- To be competitive, most of the time (especially in higher levels) a horse will cost you ~50k +
3- As an example, me… I teach a few students and have a small business in the horse industry, due to making $ from horses, I must be in Open division. I cannot be an adult amateur. I am NOT a pro! Yet I’m competing against riders who do this for a living and been to the Olympics! Does this seem fair?! Say what you want, but the judge will judge me harsher in Open then AA. It is incredibly discouraging seeing scores at times due to this and not make me want to spend thousands to enter said show.
4- Make dressage more interesting for the public… Don’t make it so snotty! Encourage cheering! Clapping! Ect… Look at jumper shows, but the best example, is Western!!!! They hoot, holler and clap and are at times loud with encouragement. People have a blast! Food for thought…. Why are the majority of western horses so quiet vs English horses 🤔 Food for thought
5- Make more classes… more Freestyles, Doubles, Team scores for team awards, Equitation classes for several levels ect.
6- I would love to see mentorship’s. AA matched up with Pro’s to get advice, input, recommendations. Someone you could bounce ideas off of. Not necessarily your coach but could be. Maybe have 3 lessons a year with this mentor? Go watch some training sessions (in person or via video methods such as Pivo for example) Does not need to be someone from your area, or even your country! I have idols outside of my country. What a great way to also network!!! I have no doubt pro’s would be happy to join. 1 pro could have no more than 2 mentees in order to not over whelm for example.
These are just a few things that are issues and a few suggestions to improve our sport if we want it to survive! I remember shows that had 20+ riders in most classes and that wasn’t that long ago, I’m talking 2016’ish)… Now, you’re lucky to see 8-10. Shows have very low entries and often need to be cancelled.
More people are moving into other disciplines due to a lot of these factors. Not gonna lie, I’ve thought about Eventing. It’s getting bigger and incorporates dressage but problem is I’m a chicken s**t lol and not sure I could do Xcountry, my body is a little to broken 🙈 Or even though Western Dressage but it too isn’t very big here 🤷♀️
We need to change things!!!! We cannot loose dressage… Dressage is the basis of all equestrian disciplines! All horses should have a strong basis of “flat” work , no matter the primary discipline.
I’d be willing to be the person to try and make changes but little old me doesn’t know where to start, or, even think I could do much without the help of more influential riders in Dressage!
If you’re willing to try with me or have suggestions, please oh please get in touch! (I know someone had tried a few years ago to do the team thing but it didn’t take. If I’d had a horse at the time, I would 100% would have jumped on it.
I just returned from a week serving as a chef d’equipe at the FEI North American Youth Championships in Michigan. This is one of my favorite events of the year. Why? Well, when I’m not trudging back and forth between the barn and the dressage complex at Traverse City (which I swear is uphill bot...
